There's a long history of healthy rivalry between skiers and snowboarders. Sure, everyone’s good friends, but each camp secretly – and sometimes not-so-secretly – believes their favourite winter sport to be more skilful, cooler and just downright better than the other.
There’s a mix of skiers and boarders on the Neilson team, with a few of us even having a foot in both camps. So we thought we’d settle the issue once and for all by taking a look at the pros and cons of both sports.
Heading off on a beginner ski holiday? Well, if it’s your first time on the slopes, most people find skiing easier to learn (and get comfortable with) than snowboarding. The stance you adopt on skis feels fairly familiar, while having both feet strapped onto a snowboard can take some getting used to.
Novice snowboarders should be prepared to take a lot more tumbles than beginner skiers will. Some protective padded clothing isn’t a bad idea. That said, whether you choose skis or a snowboard, by the end of your first week, you’ll usually be cruising down the blue runs with relative ease.
When it comes to getting around the mountains, snowboarders, again, often find it harder than skiers in the early stages. Ski lifts are pretty straightforward on skis, whereas boarders will have to learn to ride with one foot unclipped (which can take some practice). The lack of ski poles for snowboarders can also leave you high and dry on flat sections of piste until you build the confidence to carry more speed. A friendly skier willing to give you a tow can be a real godsend – but let’s not tell them that, right?
After the initial investment of learning those basic snowboarding techniques, many boarders find they can hit the intermediate slopes pretty quickly. Once you can turn your board, it’s all about having fun, increasing your speed and getting some experience under your belt. Progressing onto off-piste riding doesn’t require much in the way of new technique, but if you want to try your hand at freestyle tricks like jumps and rails, you’ll need to put in the hours at the snowparks.
Skiers, on the other hand, often find they ‘plateau’ once they have mastered the basic skiing skills. The subtleties of technique can take a long time to fine tune, as you spend day after day working on your turns and parallel skiing. Heading off-piste is challenging on skis and can feel like an entirely different skill. So, all in all, skiing may be harder to master - but you’ll have a great time trying.
Learning to snowboard is usually more physically demanding, especially when you take into account the number of times you have to pick yourself up from falls. It’s a real all-over workout, demanding a good basic level of fitness and strength from head to toe. A strong core will always be your friend, helping you balance on your board and supporting your joints.
While skiing is a little easier on the body, especially for beginners, all skiers have experienced aching legs at the end of a long day on the slopes. Maintaining a bent knee position all day understandably takes its toll on your quads.
If you can make the time, both skiers and boarders will always feel the benefit of some pre-ski season training. Anything that boosts your general cardiovascular fitness is great, along with some ski exercises to strengthen the key muscles used in skiing and boarding. You’ll thank yourself later.
There are no safety guarantees with either sport. Injuries do happen and it’s important you know how to keep yourself safe in the mountains.
If you take extra risks like heading off-piste and avalanches out of the equation, skiers tend to be most likely to sustain a knee injury, while boarders are more likely to injure their coccyxor wrists
Whichever sport you do, we strongly recommend wearing a helmetand that you stickto the marked pistes, unless you’re with an expert guide.
Sorry skiers, the snowboarders win this one hands down. Ski boots are famously uncomfortable to walk in, whereas board boots are much softer and more forgiving. Add in the fact that boarders don’t have to grapple with ski poles and criss-crossing skis and you have to acknowledge the win.
On a happier note, both sports require plenty of warm, comfortable clothing from thermal leggings to cosy ski socks. Gone are the days of skin-tight ski suits, so enjoy the chance to wear relaxed clothing all week.
It’s the killer question. And one that really comes down to you.
Which winter sport are you more excited to try on your ski holiday? Which suits your skills better? How much time do you have? Do you have ambitions of style or speed? Which do your friends and family love?
The truth is, both sports will give you amazing experiences in the mountains and you can’t say better than that.
Of course we can’t choose… it’s like choosing a favourite child – and we just love them both so much in different ways.
Today, skiers and boarders are less rivals, more partners in crime. You’ll see skiers getting stuck in to powder and freestyle, and you’ll see boarders who can’t get enough of perfecting their carving turns on pristine pistes.
Still undecided? That’s easy - have a go at both!
In the UK, January is dark and dreary. Grab some friends and family, head out to the mountains and you can look forward toamazing powder to crowd-free pisteson a group January ski holiday!
Your ski or snowboard boots can have a huge impact on your performance,your comfort and ultimately, your holiday, so it's good to get them right.
If you've got your ski or board holiday booked (or at least thinking about booking it), we can help you get the most out of it with a few simple exercises.
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